


just the right amount

by wearing_tearing



Series: reality warping [2]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Barista Steve Rogers, First Kiss, Fluff, M/M, Notes, Pre-Serum Steve Rogers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-21
Updated: 2015-05-21
Packaged: 2018-03-31 12:12:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,016
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3977557
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wearing_tearing/pseuds/wearing_tearing
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“Yes?” Steve looks up at Darcy. “Is everything okay?”</p><p>“You tell me,” Darcy smirks, eyes glinting. “Is writing personal messages on coffee cups something we do for all of our customers now?”</p>
            </blockquote>





	just the right amount

**Author's Note:**

> i am on a roll.
> 
> based on this au prompt: _“I work at Starbucks and you come in so often that I know your daily order and write encouraging notes on your cup” au_ ([x](http://bittenprompts.tumblr.com/post/118945640253/more-au-prompts))
> 
> thanks again to [whatthehale](http://archiveofourown.org/users/whatthehale/pseuds/whatthehale) for betaing!

Steve almost burns himself when he first sees _him_.

Which is not really that uncommon, considering he’s only been working at the coffee shop for a little over three weeks, but still. It’s not fun. And it’s only because of his quick reflexes - and also maybe, _possibly_ , because this had happened before - that he manages to spill the milk in the cup and _not_ all over himself.

In his defense, though, it’s not like Steve couldn’t _not_ stare at the guy who just walked in. Both because he had the bluest eyes Steve had ever seen, but also because he looked like complete and utter _shit_.

“Good morning, Bucky!” Darcy, Steve’s supervisor, says. “Rough night?”

Bucky glares at her. “What do you think?”

“Natasha still sick?”

“And making everyone’s life miserable,” Bucky replies, scrubbing a hand over his face. “I’m just lucky I’m not the one dating her. Clint can’t even tell her to stop being a pain in the ass without getting his ass kicked.”

Steve watches them from the corner of his eye, intrigued. From the way Darcy talks and acts around him Steve figures Bucky must be a regular, but this is the first time Steve’s seen him in the shop since he started working there.

“Your usual, then?”

“Yeah,” Bucky nods. “And some banana muffins, please.”

Darcy rings Bucky’s orders, which Steve does his best to get right. He doesn’t have as much problem with making drinks as he did his first week as a barista, but he makes sure to pay extra attention to Bucky’s coffee. He looks like he needs it.

He also needs some cheering up, if judging by the way his shoulders slump as soon as Darcy gives her back to him.

Steve bites at his bottom lip, making the split second decision to sneak one of Darcy’s markers and scrawling a quick ‘ _I hope your friend feels better!’_ on the cup.

“Here’s your large americano with a shot of vanilla syrup, sir,” Steve says, handing Bucky the coffee. “Have a nice day.”

“Thanks.” Bucky gives him a quick smile, his fingers closing over Steve’s note. “You too.”

Steve’s eyes follow Bucky as he leaves, hoping he’ll see the message before he throws his cup away. And then he has to stop watching, because Darcy is already taking another order and he needs to focus unless he wants to end up with whip cream on his pants again.

*

“So.”

“Yes?” Steve looks up at Darcy. “Is everything okay?”

“You tell me,” Darcy smirks, eyes glinting. “Is writing personal messages on coffee cups something we do for all of our customers now?”

Steve can feel himself flushing bright red, but he juts his chin and meets Darcy’s gaze and _refuses_ to let her make him feel bad about doing something nice for someone.

“He looked like he needed it,” Steve tells her. “Is that a problem?”

Darcy stares at him for a second or two before shaking her head. “Not at all. And heaven knows, if there’s anyone who needs some good in his life, that person’s Bucky.”

Steve frowns, but before he can open his mouth to ask Darcy what she means by that, Jane walks in, her eyes wide and her hands twitching when she leans over the counter.

“Jane,” Darcy groans. “Please tell me you didn’t finish all the coffee we had at the apartment. _Again_.”

*

The next time Bucky comes in, two days later, Steve braces himself.

Not because there’s risk of him accidentally bumping into something and letting it crash to the floor, but because as soon as Bucky lets the door close behind him, he _zeroes in on Steve_. Those eyes stare straight at him, _right through him_ , and Steve freezes in place.

But he also stares _right back_.

Damn him if he’s gonna let some guy intimidate him just because he wrote something in a cup. He’s little, but he’s fierce, and if this Bucky guy has something to say about what Steve did, he better come right out and do it.

Only, well.

Bucky doesn’t.

Come right out and do it, that is.

He just stares. At Steve. For about five seconds that seem to stretch like forever and that make Steve’s stomach do unpleasant flips.

Flips that only get worse when, out of all things, Bucky _smiles_ at him. A small, faint, barely there smile, that crinkles the corner of his eyes and makes him look about a hundred times more attractive than he did the last - and only - time Steve saw him.

Bucky looks a lot better today, if Steve’s being honest. Bucky’s hair is combed through and secured in a bun at the top of his head, a few strands of hair falling over his eyes. His black shirt and dark grey hoodie aren’t wrinkled, and he seems comfortable and like he’s had a decent night’s sleep, his cheeks a little pale and the lines of his shoulders relaxed.

Bucky looks, well. He looks _really fucking good_ , actually.

Steve blinks, a little startled, but then smiles back.

His heart beats a little bit faster in his chest when Bucky orders his drink, and he wonders if Bucky will say anything about the note once Steve hands him his drink. If he’ll say thanks, or maybe smile again, or say something else.

Bucky doesn’t, though, and Steve has to admit he’s a little disappointed at that.

You know, until he sees the grin on Bucky’s face when Bucky notices ‘ _You look very nice today :)’_ written around his cup.

*

Over the course of the next three weeks, Bucky comes in pretty much every day.

Steve writes little notes on his cups every time, grinning whenever he sees the pleased look on Bucky’s face when he reads over the words. He never says anything about them, though. Not about Steve’s _your hair looks nice when it’s up_ or his _I hope you have a great weekend!_ or _you look like you could kick someone’s ass today_. He also doesn’t mention the little doodles Steve sometimes does around the cup: the dinosaurs dressed as army vets or the little spiders wearing tutus.

Steve doesn’t mind it as much as he did that first time. But that might be because, you know, he and Bucky now talk about _other things_.

*

The first time Bucky says hello to Steve, Steve almost drops Bucky’s drink.

 _Almost_ being the keyword here. Right as the cup is about to sleep from between Steve’s slim fingers Bucky wraps his own around it, holding it firmly in his palm.

“Sorry about that,” Steve mumbles, sliding his hand from under Bucky’s and trying to ignore the way his skin tingles.

“It’s alright,” Bucky says, and then grins. “So, you’re Darcy’s new hire.”

Steve raises an eyebrow. “I’ve been here for over a month.”

Bucky waves a hand at him. “You’re not considered part of the family until you’ve had to deny Jane Foster coffee.”

“Oh, god.” Steve’s eyes widen in horror. “Don’t remind me. I thought her boyfriend was going to jump over the counter and steal our espresso machine.”

“Thor’s too nice for that,” Bucky tells him. “Just don’t get him talking about Norse mythology. He has lots of opinions about that.”

“Noted.”

“So, Steve,” Bucky says, his fingers tracing circles over the rim of his cup. “It was nice talking to you.”

“You too,” Steve answers, and then almost facepalms when the next words out of his mouth are, “Hope I see you around again.”

“Like I don’t come here practically every day?” Bucky asks, lips curling up.

“Jerk,” Steve huffs.

Bucky’s small smile turns into a grin.

“You’re here _too much_!” Darcy pipes up from the register, laughing when Bucky rolls his eyes at her.

“See if I ever volunteer to go help you at the pound again.”

“You will,” Darcy says, looking all kinds of smugs. “You like petting the puppies way too much.”

Steve can’t help but smile at the way he sees Bucky duck his head at that, the back of his neck turning red.

“Well,” Bucky says, clearing his throat. “See you two tomorrow.”

“Say hi to Natasha and Clint for me!” Darcy yells, waving him goodbye.

“Bye, Buck,” Steve says, smiling a little.

“Don’t miss me too much,” Bucky winks.

Steve rolls his eyes.

*

One of the doodles on Bucky’s coffee cup that week are two puppies fighting over a football, and written in Steve’s messy scrawl is _I missed you just the right amount._

*

After almost two months of silly little notes and weird doodles and Bucky and Steve talking about anything and everything and getting to know each other, the tables turn.

Steve isn’t expecting it. Not in a million years did he think that something like this would ever happen. Not when the only reason he even started this in the first place was just as a means to cheer someone up, and _especially_ not when Bucky never said a word about any of it.

So to say he’s surprised when he comes into the coffee shop for his shift and finds _Bucky_ behind the counter would be an understatement.

“What’s going on?” Steve asks as he makes his way slowly to the counter, eyeing Bucky and Darcy suspiciously.

Darcy has the biggest grin Steve’s ever seen stretching across her face, her hands clasped together and tucked under her chin as he stares from Steve to Bucky and back again.

“Well, Steve,” Bucky drawls. “You’re always the one giving me coffee. Figured it was time to return the favor.”

“But I work here.” Steve narrows his eyes, and turns to Darcy. “Don’t I?”

“Not for the next five minutes, you don’t,” Darcy says, still grinning. “So, what are you having?”

“A hot chocolate,” Bucky says before Steve can answer.

Steve and Darcy both turn to him, eyebrows raised.

Bucky shrugs, blowing his hair out of his face. “What? We talked about our favorite drinks before. I remember.”

Steve can’t help the rush of warmth he feels at hearing that, knowing Bucky pays that much attention to their conversations and little tidbits of information about his nfl Steve lets it slip.

And that’s when it happens.

Right when Steve is about to reach for his cup of hot chocolate, Bucky picks up one of Darcy’s black markers and curls his fingers around the cup, his brows furrowing and his teeth coming down to bite at his bottom lip in concentration.

And that’s Bucky.

On Steve’s _drink_.

Just like Steve’s been doing since the first time he saw Bucky come into the shop.

Steve knows his face must be doing something pretty dumb as he watches Bucky, because as soon as Bucky’s done writing whatever it is that he’s writing and stares up at Steve, he chuckles.

“Here’s your drink, sir.”

Steve doesn’t pick up the cup right away. Instead, he turns it over on the counter until he can see Bucky’s messy handwriting and the note.

Steve blinks, heart tripping in his chest as his eyes scan over the words and the little silly smiley face drawn beside them.

“Oh.”

“And?” Bucky’s staring expectantly at him, chewing on his bottom lip.

“And…,” Steve says slowly. If Bucky can do _this_ after _never_ saying anything about Steve’s own notes, then Steve can be an asshole about it.

“ _Steve_.” Bucky groans.

Steve laughs, big and bright and weightless, and finally takes Bucky out of his misery. “Yes.”

“Yeah?” Bucky perks up, his smile like sunshine.

“Of course, you jerk,” Steve answers, and then leans in.

They’re both too busy kissing to really hear or bother about Darcy squealing and clapping her hands together. They do stop her from taking pictures with her phone, though. And then they go back to making out against the counter, Bucky’s mouth hot and wet against Steve’s own.

You know, until Steve ends up bumping into the cups on top of the counter and sending them all to the floor.

*

_hey punk, what do you say about going on a date with me? (please say yes) - bucky_

**Author's Note:**

> [marvel tumblr](http://hawkguyz.tumblr.com/) :D


End file.
